Townsend and Kollin Folsom, 24, overpowered a guard on Sept. 17 after as they worked on an evening cleaning crew at the Florence Correctional Center. They then used ladders to scale razor wire-topped fencing and make their getaway.

Folsom, also a convicted murderer from Washington state, was caught several hours later.

Townsend has nearly 50 years to serve on convictions for arson, theft and murder in the shooting of Gerald Harkins in Mason County, Wash. in 1996.

Gerald Harkins was shot twice, killed and left in the woods. He was just 18.

On Wednesday morning, Harkins' mother said she was thrilled to learn of the arrest.

"Every morning we got up with 'I wonder where he is today,'" said Audrey Harkins. "This is wonderful news."

Harkins said the sheriff's office told her that Townsend was caught at a motel just outside of Spokane and tried to jump through a window when officers arrived to arrest him.

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